Self-Help?
Interested in your thoughts on this statement:
Spiritual formation without mission is nothing more than Christianized self-help.
Spiritual formation without mission is nothing more than Christianized self-help.
posted by Bob | 6:54 PM
5 Comments:
Deb and I are discussing this statement. And of course, all marital conversations lead to a desire to define terms. So we came across this quote from Willard, which seems helpful, at least on the spiritual formation front:
"Christian spiritual formation is the redemptive process of forming the inner human world so that it takes on the character of the inner being of Christ himself. In the degree to which it is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural expression or outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus. But the external manifestation of "Christlikeness" is not the focus of the process; and when it is made the main emphasis the process will be defeated, falling into crushing legalisms and parochialisms."
Questions related to this statement:
- Is "Christianized self-help" inherently bad, or just inadeuqate to spiritual formation?
- What if "self-help" methods play a part in the spiritual formation process? That is, what if the 7 habits of highly effective people help me find more time for spiritual disciplines, etc?
- What is "mission" ... evangelism, discipleship, any kind of influence, etc.?
The challenge with this statement, as with many one-liners, is that it seems true on some level, but does not account for the fullness of its terms.
Deb and I are discussing this statement. And of course, all marital conversations lead to a desire to define terms. So we came across this quote from Willard, which seems helpful, at least on the spiritual formation front:
"Christian spiritual formation is the redemptive process of forming the inner human world so that it takes on the character of the inner being of Christ himself. In the degree to which it is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural expression or outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus. But the external manifestation of "Christlikeness" is not the focus of the process; and when it is made the main emphasis the process will be defeated, falling into crushing legalisms and parochialisms."
Questions related to this statement:
- Is "Christianized self-help" inherently bad, or just inadeuqate to spiritual formation?
- What if "self-help" methods play a part in the spiritual formation process? That is, what if the 7 habits of highly effective people help me find more time for spiritual disciplines, etc?
- What is "mission" ... evangelism, discipleship, any kind of influence, etc.?
The challenge with this statement, as with many one-liners, is that it seems true on some level, but does not account for the fullness of its terms.
Can you have spiritual formation without mission? If it's genuine God-wrought spiritual [trans]formation it has to work itself out in mission doesn't it? (seem to recall something John said about abiding leading to fruit which evidences the people who have truly been [trans]formed) Self-help is contained: the process both begins and concludes with us. Discipleship is pervasive and expansive: it originates with God, processes through us and culminates in others.
But without context I have no idea if this is in the ballpark of what you're getting at. Either way, I'm pretty sure that spiritual formation isn't on any of the finals that I should be studying for right now. I'd better self-help into some textbooks...
What about this:
"Mission without spiritual formation is nothing more than Christians seeking salvation through good deeds."
I think it is equally half-true as the original statement.
Re: Will's comment
I think it's impossible to separate the two. And from reading Willard I think (gasp) that he may have gone a bit far in that statement. Because, sometimes the way through spiritual formation involves exercises in service. Sometimes, those outward things form you. So, He's right in that it shouldn't become the focus. . .but that's not the end, either.
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